The moment a child is born, they automatically become part of the global family of humanity, and yet that child also needs a specific family to receive nurturing and care to grow up healthy and strong.
Now take that same physical truth and apply it to us spiritually. When a person is born again, they automatically become a part of God’s family worldwide, and yet they also need a local spiritual family to belong to. Here is the difference between attending church and committing yourself as a core member of a church family: Attenders spectate from the sideline; members get involved. Attenders consume; family members contribute. Attenders want the benefits of a church family without sharing the responsibility. It is similar to couples who want to live together without committing to marriage.
Why is committing to a local church family beneficial to your spiritual growth and spiritual maturity? Because it reveals your love and commitment to your spiritual brothers and sisters in reality, not just in theory. God wants us to serve each other, encourage each other, build each other up, spur each other on to spiritual growth, pick each other up when we fall or fail, and to share life with real people not ideal people.
If you are looking for the perfect, ideal church family, you will spend your entire life looking and never settling. Simply put, you will not find one. Yet what you will find in a church family is imperfect people like yourself that God challenges each of us to love. And as we learn to love each other and serve one another, we find ourselves spiritually growing in the image of Christ.
Now take that same physical truth and apply it to us spiritually. When a person is born again, they automatically become a part of God’s family worldwide, and yet they also need a local spiritual family to belong to. Here is the difference between attending church and committing yourself as a core member of a church family: Attenders spectate from the sideline; members get involved. Attenders consume; family members contribute. Attenders want the benefits of a church family without sharing the responsibility. It is similar to couples who want to live together without committing to marriage.
Why is committing to a local church family beneficial to your spiritual growth and spiritual maturity? Because it reveals your love and commitment to your spiritual brothers and sisters in reality, not just in theory. God wants us to serve each other, encourage each other, build each other up, spur each other on to spiritual growth, pick each other up when we fall or fail, and to share life with real people not ideal people.
If you are looking for the perfect, ideal church family, you will spend your entire life looking and never settling. Simply put, you will not find one. Yet what you will find in a church family is imperfect people like yourself that God challenges each of us to love. And as we learn to love each other and serve one another, we find ourselves spiritually growing in the image of Christ.
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